The Royal Society for Public Health, a British non-profit organization, has just conducted a study on the calories in alcoholic beverages. 60 to 80% of people ignore or underestimate the caloric intake of a cocktail or a glass of wine. The organization has therefore just urged the European Union to introduce labeling.
To avoid obesity and overconsumption of alcohol
According to them, if consumers were aware of the caloric values of a beer or a glass of red wine, they would consume less of it unconsciously. Labeling would therefore make it possible to fight against obesity, a global scourge since overweight affects 1.4 billion people aged 20 and over. In France, 6.5 million people are considered obese (i.e. 14.5% of the adult population of France). At the same time, becoming aware of calories would make many people want to consume less alcohol, before reaching the stage where we are no longer fully aware of our actions. The law requires the labeling of food products including so-called soft drinks. Why not alcoholic beverages? The study carried out has also shown that two out of three consumers are in favor of this idea. Some spirits producers have already adopted labeling spontaneously, but they are few. The cost of analyzing drinks to give the exact figures needed for labeling is holding back many. Following the request of The Royal Society for Public Health, the European Commission is expected to take a decision in December.
A glass of wine =120 calories
Whether red or white, a glass of wine contains 120 calories, double that of a Coca-Cola if it is estimated that a glass contains 15cl. A 33 cl pint of beer gives you 150 calories for free. When vodka or whiskey contain 85, a cosmopolitan 146 and the terrible piña colada 490! What to hesitate before letting go during our next drunken evening. And if you want to calculate your alcohol consumption to understand the result that the scale will give you, go here. We always knew that alcohol and diet were not good friends, but we had no figures. Are you for or against a label to make us feel guilty?
